(The following story by Sandy Evans appeared on the Ogden Reporter website on April 30.)
OGDEN, Utah — Once a year invited county and town officials are treated to a luxury train ride aboard the Union Pacific heritage fleet train normally reserved for presidential tours and other dignitary trips.
Officially Union Pacific invites media and police and other officials who are concerned with public safety to inform the public on how to avoid accidents with trains.
Unofficially everyone aboard saw the new construction of the bridge north of the current historic Kate Shelley High Bridge. This new bridge is expected to be completed in December 2008.
Passengers rode in three separate areas, one being a car from the 1940’s all original except for the carpeting and upholstery. Others rode in the dome car with a bird’s-eye view of the scenery and new bridge.
Other than the heritage fleet trains, Union Pacific doesn’t run passenger trains, as there is more profit in transporting cargo.
Transporting liquid ethanol has become “the hot thing” for Union Pacific according to Don Heddinger, conductor and a 38 year employee of the railroad. Not only has this become a growing business activity, but also transporting dried distilled grain, a by-product of the production of ethanol.
Iowa ranks 10th in the nation for highway rail grade crossing collisions
Iowa had 81 collisions in 2007 based on preliminary Federal Railroad Administration Statistics. This puts Iowa as tenth in the nation for the number of highway rail grade crossing collisions, a statistic of which we should not be proud.
These collisions resulted in seven fatalities. This tied us with four other states for fifteenth in the nation for number of fatalities in highway railway crossing fatalities.
Since Operation Lifesaver began collisions have been reduced by 76%
In 1972, when Operation Lifesaver began, there were approximately 12,000 collisions between trains and motor vehicles annually. By 2006, the most recent year for which final statistics are available, the number of train/motor vehicle collisions had been reduced by approximately 76% to 2,897. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) within the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) is responsible for collecting information about highway-rail grade crossing and pedestrian/trespasser incidents.
Safety Tips
1. Approach crossing with care. (Slow down when you see an Advanced Warning Sign.
2. Prepare to stop. (Turn off fans and radio, roll down windows. (Look and listen for a train.)
3. Stop at least 15 feet from nearest rail, but not more than 50 feet, if you see a train.
4. If it won’t fit, don’t commit. Trains extend beyond the width of the rails. (At least 3 feet on each side.) If your vehicle has a trailer, remember the additional length.
5. Double check, back left and right. Before you move look in both directions.
6. Cross tracks with care. If your vehicle has a manual transmission, use a gear that will not require shifting until you reach the opposite side.
7. Keep going once you start, even if lights start to flash or gates come down.
What to do if your vehicle stalls or hangs up on the tracks:
1. Get out immediately -evacuate your vehicle. (Trains traveling at 60 mph may take a mile or more to stop.)
2. Move away at once. Walk in the direction of the oncoming train, and away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle. (If your vehicle is hit, debris will spread out from the tracks in the same direction the train is moving.)
3. Locate the emergency phone number. When you are safely away from the tracks, find the railroad’s emergency phone number and the DOT crossing identification number posted near the crossing.
Pedestrian Rail Safety Tips
Trains can move in either direction at any time. Trains are sometimes pushed by locomotives instead of being pulled. This is especially true in commuter and light rail passenger service.
Modern trains are quieter than ever, with no telltale “clackety-clack.” Also, an approaching train will always be closer and moving faster than you think.
Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings. Observe and obey all warning signs and signals.
Never walk down a train track; it’s illegal and it’s dangerous. By the time a locomotive engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late. The train cannot stop quickly enough to avoid a collision.
Remember: Rail and recreation do not mix!